A new project for me is the Jeep CJ-5 used in the TV series, Cade's County starring the late Glenn Ford. The closest I can come to for Cade's Jeep is the Korean War CJ-5 Staff Car and Trailer kit #1-1210-250 which just fell into my hands for $10.00. Extremely little is known about the Cade's County Jeep so I am taking some artistic license here. I am also going to attempt weathering the body and chassis to reflect the Jeep's time in Madrid County, California desert.

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

Thank you Bill! I've been trying to find a shot of the front of the Jeep. In some of the distant and blurry shots is what appears to be a cable winch, but it's size and shape cannot be seen clearly. This kit has only one jerry can and Sam Cade's Jeep has two mounted on the back and the spare tire is mounted on the right side. If I can't locate another jerry can like the one in the kit, I'll just use the one and mount the spare tire on the rear per the instructions.

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

Thanks Bill! The spare tire was carried on the right rear fender, but I'm going to mount it on the right rear tailgate since I only have one jerrycan instead of two that the 1:1 Jeep carried. I've been trying to find pictures of the front of the Jeep to see the size and shape of the winch, but I haven't been able to find any. I'll probably scratch-build one and call it done at that.

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

This is what happens when you feel bored and you don't want to work on your projects, but you feel the need to relieve that boredom and you do something like this...

There are several guns and tools in this kit. I decided to assemble the machine gun stand and mount the machine gun after I painted it with Model Master Gunmetal and I drilled out the end of the barrel and hollowed out the handle. The machine gun appears to be a M2 .50 caliber gun.

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

I painted the CJ5 this morning with Tamiya TS-48 German Gray which is a flat color. I may add a coat Tamiya Semi-Gloss Clear to the body and hood after they have had sufficient time to dry. I may just skip the Semi Gloss Clear and weather everything since this Jeep has spent most of it's life out in the open desert and the body and hood are not glossy.

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

Thanks Joe! The weathering is nothing more than dry-brushing a color that looks like desert dust onto the body. I tried this on the chassis and and the brush wasn't "dry" enough. I may have to use my Badger 150 airbrush and mist the color on. And, typical or me, I forgot to paint something on the Jeep, the windshield frame.

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

I found two blank star decals in the decal stash and applied them to the hood. I placed the hood in the dehydrator to dry for an hour. I had heard of someone doing this and they had good luck with it, so why not?

And, again I have to make seat backs for the bucket seats in the Jeep. Why do they do this especially when the seats are plainly visible? Time to get out the sheet styrene again...

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

Maybe they did, but you never what was going through their minds back then...

After watching the opening credits again, I noticed that the windshield has wiper marks on it. I grabbed a sheet of Post-It Notes, measured my spacing and with a compass, I made these. Unfortunately, the wiper motors are at the top of the windshield and Sam Cade's Jeep has them at the bottom. Oh well...I told you I was going to take some dramatic license with this build!

Last night, I got out the Tamiya X-18 Semi-Gloss Black and the Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown and painted up the M-1 Carbine and the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun.

A mockup to see how this CJ-5 is coming along. Much to be done-flat clear coat the hood and weather it, weather the Jery can and the spare tire, and finish assembly.

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985

I finally fired up the paintbooth and did a little painting tonight. I painted the hood with Acryl Flat Clear to help cover the gloss of the star decals and the front bumper got a coat of Tamiya TS-14 Gloss Black.

More to come...

"That's Spenser with an 'S' like the poet." Robert Urich Spenser For Hire 1985